A Distributed Teaming Testbed for Human-Machine Collaboration in Futuristic Space Missions

Abstract

Future space missions present complex challenges for distributed human-machine teaming due to communication latency, operational uncertainty, and coordination demands across Earth, Moon, and Mars environments. We introduce a Distributed Teaming Testbed simulating multi-agent space missions involving astronauts, AI-enabled robotic agents, and ground control under variable communication conditions. The testbed facilitates experimentation with real-time perturbations and adaptive team behaviors in simulated space environments. Through layered dynamics and real-time analytics, we quantify team resilience using measures such as communication entropy, relaxation times, and influence metrics. Results indicate that resilient teams exhibit faster recovery from disruptions and more adaptive coordination, highlighting the role of human-AI trust calibration and autonomous agent integration. This platform serves as a scalable environment for studying cognitive, behavioral, and computational dimensions of distributed teaming. Future applications include predictive AI models for preemptive failure detection, adaptive autonomy, and resilience monitoring across space and terrestrial domains such as defense and disaster response.